posted on Aug, 20 2005 @ 05:53 PM
I'll take a crack at this one.
Before I explain, though, I'll give a little background information as to where I'm coming from.
First of all, I'm very much a "show me" sort of person myself. I'm not willing to believe much without solid proof. That said, I've had a
number of paranormal experiences which, while I cannot explain or replicate them, have become a sort of "proof" for me. I've often heard voices of
people I knew who weren't present, only to later find out that the voice was the same as that person's thoughts at the moment. I've seen ghosts
and other paranormal entities. I also have an uncanny ability to detect a person's mood just by seeing them, whether I know the person or not.
I've had enough such experiences to believe that such things exist. I have also, being the logically minded person that I am, tried to look for
scientific explanations of these phenomena.
Empathy, or the detection of a persons general mood or state of mind, is probably the easiest one to explain. As we all know, humans (along with
every other known form of life) is a bio-electric "machine", meaning that we are composed of organic materials, and powered by
low-voltage/low-current electrical charges. As with all electricity, even the slightest bit of electrical charge will emit a magnetic field. This
has often been studied as bio-magnetics. Being fundamentally primal animals, we have the ability to pick up on the bio-electric emissions from other
animals or people (and even plants) because of "hardwired" instincts. These bio-magnetic emissions also do not always stay the same. They vary
depending on state of mind and emotional state. For instance, our bio-magnetic signature is different when we are sleeping, than when we are awake.
It's different when we are angry versus when we are happy. The differences in these bio-electric and bio-magnetic states has long been used in
medical science to monitor bodilly function (for instance, in a sleep study lab - we're able to record brain waves because of bio-electric and
bio-magnetic emissions). Most known life (especially in the animal world) has demonstrated the capacity to detect these emissions naturally, without
the use of technology (such as a lone deer, perking his head up in alarm when a predator is near, and the subsequent reaction of the rest of the
herd). This is empathy. Quite real, and quite proven.
Unfortunately, I have not come across viable scientific explanations for the rest of the paranormal phenomena. This is not to say that they don't
exist, however. Paranormal investigation has largely been relegated to fringe elements, often without the funding for advanced technology or labs to
measure or study these phenomena. In addition to that, there is a lot about physics that we simply don't understand. Even with the seemingly simple
mechanics of bio-electricity and bio-magnetism, there are many aspects of this subject that still elude scientific definition.
With a lot of paranormal cases, since it's something that is not often observed, and rarely occurs when observation and recording equipment is
present, I feel that we may not even know WHAT to try and measure to discover the science behind it. People have tried thermal imaging, some with
interesting, though unrepeatable results. Some have tried electromagnetic or electrical spectrum imaging/detection, once again with interesting,
though irrepeatable results.
Even those of us who believe in the paranormal (and consider ourselves rather fluent with it) really don't understand the science behind it. To
those of us that have experienced enough to know it to be true, we have given somewhat of a leap of faith into further interaction with the
paranormal. Just as the Bible cannot be largely replicated or explained scientifically, so it is with paranormal studies. Time may eventually yield
a scientific explanation, but as yet, it eludes us, just like so many other aspects of physics.